A herd of elephants have destroyed 40 hectares of winter wheat at Shashe Irrigation Scheme, some 135 km west of Beitbridge, Zimbabwe's border city with South Africa, The Herald reported on Friday.

Beitbridge Senator Tambudzani Mohadi said this was a very disturbing situation as it came when the district was facing food shortages. Elephants were becoming a regular problem in the area and there was need for urgent actions to protect the community.

The destruction of irrigation schemes and fields was hampering efforts to realize a good harvest as a measure to alleviate poverty and hunger in the district, he said.

Mohadi said the destroyed irrigation scheme was the livelihood of the area and this could mean a bleak future to residents.

The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority was called in to help in curbing this problem.

"People are living in fear. The jumbos are really a threat to our crops and lives," said Mohadi.

School children in the district were also not attending class due to fear of being attacked by the elephants, according to the newspaper.

Source: Xinhua